


Strings

by NamelesslyNightlock



Series: Going Down Swinging [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Guilt, Loki (Marvel) Feels, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, M/M, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Protective Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-16 09:03:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18518254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelesslyNightlock/pseuds/NamelesslyNightlock
Summary: When Loki returned to Earth with blue eyes and a desire to destroy, Tony knew immediately that he wasn’t to blame for his actions. Loki, however, might need a little more convincing of that fact.





	Strings

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt** — _"None of this is your fault."_

Loki’s green eyes were wide, wild, _frantic,_ his breathing so heavy that Tony could see his chest rise and fall despite his thick leather coat and gold armour. He still held the sceptre in his hands, though the end was snapped and broken from the combined blast of Thor’s lightning and Tony’s repulsors.

“Hey,” Tony said, stepping forward, stepping _out_ of his suit. Everyone else was standing ready behind him, just in case, and Tony didn’t want to startle him. Loki was no doubt still at war in his own mind, still caught in the horrors that he had been made to enact. But Tony still _trusted_ him and he knew that so long as he was careful, Loki wouldn’t hurt him—

Because Loki’s eyes were _green_ , the colour brought into an even sharper focus by the red that dripped from his armour and spattered over his cheeks.

“Hey, Reindeer Games,” Tony said gently, pausing a few yards from the terrified god. “How are you feeling?”

“Anthony?” Loki asked, his voice rasping with desperation, his eyes flicking up to Tony’s with the kind of jerky movement that suggested he wasn’t really seeing what was in front of him at all.

“Yeah, Lokes,” Tony said, stepping forward just a little closer. “It’s me.”

Loki fell forward at that, the broken sceptre falling from his hands and a broken cry tearing from his lips. Tony lurched forward as well and they fell to the ground together, their arms around each other and Loki’s head pressed to Tony’s shoulder as best as his helmet would allow.

Loki’s whole body was wracked with sobs, and Tony could feel the hard press of Loki’s armour against his skin with every shake and shudder.

“Shhh, it’s okay, shh,” Tony soothed he tugged back just enough to pull Loki’s helmet off, and then threw it to the side so he could hold Loki close, smoothing down his hair with gentle strokes. “None of this is your fault.”

That only made Loki cry harder, his hands fisting at the back of Tony’s shirt.

It had all happened rather quickly, so suddenly that even now Tony was struggling to keep up with it. Loki was only supposed to have gone off-world to find a book, but when he had returned he had been different, _wrong_. He was holding a sceptre that looked _dangerously_ similar to the one he’d had during the original invasion of New York, and wearing a twisted, feral snarl that could have made even the most hardened of warriors cower.

He had attacked not the Avengers, but the _city_ , starting in Central Park and making his way out, tearing a path of destruction that had left bodies littered in his wake. The Avengers had a fast discussion and had worked out the problem in a moment, and they had all gone in knowing that Loki _wasn’t_ the target.

Seeing Loki’s expression so twisted with hatred as the blue of his eyes had come to rest on _him_ was one of the most painful experiences of Tony’s life, but he survived it, because he _knew it wasn’t Loki_.

And as if he had needed any more convincing– the way that Loki was breaking down now upon the realisation of what he had done was more than enough. The regret, the pain was tangible, and Tony could feel the tears against his shoulder as he rocked them back and forth.

Tony was aware of the world moving around them. He could see Thor moving to the two parts of the sceptre, hitting them a few times with Mjölnir as if to be _sure_ it was destroyed, before calling Heimdall so that he could take the remains of it back to Asgard, where it would not be able to terrorise Earth again.

His eyes met Tony’s over Loki’s shaking shoulders, and Tony knew that Thor would be coming back as quickly as he could. They both knew how hard the next few months were going to be.

But in that moment, all that mattered was making sure that Loki would be– well, not _all right_ , because that was out of reach for now. But that he would at least be able to hold together, so that he could get to all right in time. So Tony held on to Loki tightly, and he repeated those four words with the hopes that maybe, they just might sink in.

 _“It’s not your fault_. _”_

But as Loki calmed enough to speak, as his sobs lessened to hitched breaths and his shakes dissipated to trembles, his whisper against the skin of Tony’s neck was almost enough to break his heart.

“It doesn’t matter whether it was my fault or not,” Loki said brokenly. “I still did it.”

“You didn’t,” Tony said instantly. “That wasn’t you, it was _Thanos_. Loki, I know that you would _never—_ ”

“It doesn’t matter,” Loki said again. He leaned back a little then, just enough so that Tony could see his horror, his agony, his torment. “I _did_ it, and I’m the one who will suffer for it.”

There were several layers to that, Tony knew. Because Loki _was_ suffering, he was tearing himself to shreds for the lives and the damage and the things he probably remembered trying to do to the Avengers, to _Tony_. He had no doubt spent it all screaming inside his own mind, helpless and alone– but he was not alone anymore. And Tony would make sure Loki knew that, would make sure that Loki _knew_ he was still loved, regardless of what that monster had made him do.

But the suffering Loki was referring to surpassed even that– because even now Tony could hear the helicopters, the distant shouted orders, the roar of a powerful operation geared toward revenge.

“No,” Tony promised harshly. “I’m _not_ going to let them. If they want to take you in, then they’re going to have to go through me first.”

He turned his head enough to pin his team with a stare, and he was glad when he was greeted with a firm nod from Steve. Natasha and Hulk were already turned in the direction of the approaching threat, ready to defend their _own_. And perhaps Tony shouldn’t have been surprised when Clint was the one to speak up.

“We’re with you, Loki,” he said, his voice stern. “We know this wasn’t you. We’re going to take down the purple bastard who did this.”

After all, between all of them– it was Clint who could understand what it was to be forced to do something against his will.

Loki’s eyes were wide now, disbelieving and still tinged with anguish.

“It’ll be all right, Loki,” Tony swore, shifting so that he could cup Loki’s cheeks between his palms, smoothing away the tears. “We’re going to get through this.”

And as the Avengers assembled around them for a fight, Tony just hoped that his words were true.


End file.
